Every bicyclist should read and know the exact state laws they are responsible for following.

I would also do a web search for state laws (state name “traffic code” usually works well). Some manuals may not include all the laws or they may paraphrase them. Sometimes it is important to read the law exactly as written and sometimes you may need to find a law that does not mention bicycle in it. An example would be determining if the use of headphones are legal for bicyclist. The law may only say headphones are illegal for motor vehicles and may not use the word bicycle. The bicycle manual will not repeat the law in the manual because it does not have the word bicycle. The manual may say bicyclist should not wear headphones, implying that it is illegal without showing the law.

An old Hawaii manual did this and it is illegal for bicyclist to use headphones in Hawaii.

Every bicyclist should read and know the exact state laws they are responsible for following.

I would also do a web search for state laws (state name “traffic code” usually works well). Some manuals may not include all the laws or they may paraphrase them. Sometimes it is important to read the law exactly as written and sometimes you may need to find a law that does not mention bicycle in it. An example would be determining if the use of headphones are legal for bicyclist. The law may only say headphones are illegal for motor vehicles and may not use the word bicycle. The bicycle manual will not repeat the law in the manual because it does not have the word bicycle. The manual may say bicyclist should not wear headphones, implying that it is illegal without showing the law.

An old Hawaii manual did this and it is illegal for bicyclist to use headphones in Hawaii.

If you ride in a city, you want to review that city's ordinances for additional cycling regulations. Cities often specify if, and where, you may ride on sidewalks, specific streets where bicycles are prohibited, and so on.

My motivation was similar to yours. Many years ago, I was pulled over by the local town police and was told to ride on the path. I hemmed and hawed a bit, but did as I was told. When they were gone, I left the path and went back onto the road. But at the time, I wished I knew more. Now I do.

An important point: if you are interested in learning about the law, first go to the statutes and regulations. Don't rely on drivers' manuals and similar publications -- they paraphrase the law, and when it comes to bicycles, they often do it badly.

If you really want to get into it, you have to look at the case law as well -- how has the law actually been applied in the past. Unless you have access to WestLaw or LexisNexis this is not easy to find.

DC has an elected city council that passes laws, but all laws and the annual budget also must be passed by the Congress. DC residents have no representation in Congress, which puts us in the unfortunate position of having our local affairs controlled by a body in which we have no representation. We are also the only US citizens who pay income tax but do not have congressional representation.